Written Answers Tuesday 8 February 2011

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage of eligible women screened for cervical cancer has been in (a) NHS Tayside and (b) the Dundee Community Health Partnership area in each year since 2006, also broken down by age group.

Shona Robison: The percentage uptake¹ of women who had a record of a previous screening test taken within the last 3.5 years is in the following table:

  NHS Tayside, 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2010.

  

Age Group
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


% Uptake
% Uptake
% Uptake
% Uptake


3.5 Years
3.5 Years
3.5 Years
3.5 Years


20 to 24
53.3
51.0
56.5
56.3


25 to 29
65.4
63.7
67.7
67.8


30 to 34
73.5
72.1
74.9
74.1


35 to 39
77.3
76.4
79.1
78.3


40 to 44
80.3
79.6
81.5
80.3


45 to 49
79.9
79.6
81.6
81.1


50 to 54
80.5
79.4
80.4
79.0


55 to 59
78.5
79.1
79.0
77.6


60 to 64
50.4
70.9
65.3
57.1


Target Age Group (20 to 60)
73.5
72.5
75.0
74.2



  The percentage uptake¹ of women who had a record of a previous screening test taken within the last 5.5 years is in the following table:

  

Age Group
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


% Uptake
% Uptake
% Uptake
% Uptake


5.5 Years
5.5 Years
5.5 Years
5.5 Years


20 to 24
56.8
54.2
58.3
57.8


25 to 29
75.0
73.4
74.5
74.1


30 to 34
83.0
81.4
81.3
80.0


35 to 39
86.1
85.3
85.4
84.4


40 to 44
88.8
87.8
87.8
86.2


45 to 49
88.1
87.6
87.9
87.2


50 to 54
88.1
87.1
87.2
85.8


55 to 59
85.6
86.0
85.3
84.2


60 to 64
73.3
86.8
83.5
79.6


Target Age Group (20 to 60)
81.3
80.1
80.8
79.8



  Ref: IR2010-00205

  Source: 2006-07 – ISD(D)4 Legacy applications.

  Source: 2007-08 to 2009-10 – ISD (D)4 SCCRS.

  Notes:

  1. Based on adjusted Community Health Index (CHI) population denominator (excluding medically ineligible women) for 2006-07. Based on Scottish Cervical Call-Recall System population denominator (excluding medically ineligible women) for 2007-08 to 2009-10.

  Cervical screening year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

  Information on the uptake rate in the Dundee Community Health Partnership area is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to reintroduce school-based dental services since 2007 and how many (a) schools and (b) pupils are covered.

Shona Robison: Since 2007, the Scottish Government has been working on a number of ways to tackle poor oral health in children. We have launched a number of successful government funded projects across Scotland. One such project is the Childsmile Schools Programme, a school based dental preventative service. This Childsmile programme provides a twice-yearly fluoride varnish application as a preventive treatment for children in P1 and P2. 20% of schools in an NHS board area are included in the programme. Schools are ranked by the proportions of children in P1 and P2 in each school residing in the most deprived local SIMD (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation) quintile.

  (a) Cumulative Total of Childsmile Schools

  

NHS Board 
Schools Covered by Childsmile 2007-08 to Date*


Ayrshire and Arran
34


Borders
13


Dumfries and Galloway
10


Fife
34


Forth Valley
19


Grampian
75


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
143


Highland
46


Lanarkshire
67


Lothian
56


Orkney
1


Shetland
26


Tayside
44


Western Isles
5


Total
508



  Note: *Data from HIC database excluding Greater Glasgow and Clyde total from locally held data.

  (b) Pupils are covered; 53,421 pupils across Scotland have had at least one fluoride varnish through Childsmile School 2007-08 to date.

Dentistry

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to solve dental service recruitment and retention problems since 2007.

Shona Robison: In the period from 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2010 the number of dentists working in NHS general dental services has increased from 2,474 to 2,847.

  Access to NHS general dental services in Scotland has increased, and 85% of general dental practices are regarded as "NHS committed".

  The substantial increase in the number of dentists working in NHS general dental services in Scotland has been achieved by the significant steps taken by the Scottish Government to address dental service recruitment and retention problems since 2007.

  The Scottish Government has:

  Invested £368.2 million in 2009-10 in NHS general dental services in Scotland;

  Provided funding of £82 million, over two years, for the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation programme. The top priority for this funding is the development of new dental centres for general dental practitioners working in the NHS;

  Delivered on a manifesto commitment to re-introduce the school based dental service, through the "Childsmile" programme currently being rolled out across Scotland; and

  Delivered on a commitment to establish a third dental school in Scotland when the Aberdeen Dental School opened in October 2008.

  The dental bursary (introduced in 2006) continues to be available to students studying in the three dental schools in Scotland. Students can apply for a bursary of £4,000 per year on condition that they undertake to work in NHS dentistry in Scotland for up to five years following qualification. Approximately 580 students are currently in receipt of the bursary.

  Financial assistance is also available through the revised Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI) scheme to help dentists to establish or expand practices.

  Significant financial incentives aimed at encouraging dentists to join NHS boards’ dental lists continue to be available. These include:

  Remote Areas Allowance;

  Vocational trainees payments;

  Payments to dentists joining NHS board dental lists;

  Commitment payments;

  Grants to establish new or improve existing vocational training practices;

  Reimbursement of either full or partial practice rental costs; and

  Deprived areas enhancements.

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of domestic violence were reported to Grampian Police in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010.

Fergus Ewing: The following table shows the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded by Grampian police in 2007-08 to 2009-10. The corresponding figures for 2010-11 are not due to be available until November 2011.

  Domestic Abuse Incidents Recorded by the Police, Grampian Police Force Area,  2007-08 to 2009-10

  

 
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Total
3,406
3,470
3,388



  Statistical bulletins on domestic abuse are available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubDomesticAbuse.

  2009-10 is the first year in which data has been submitted based on the date the incident was recorded. Prior to this, data was returned based on the number of incidents which occurred during that time period. Historical data was revised during publication of 2009-10 data to ensure reporting on a consistent basis. While this has not resulted in significant changes to the number of incidents, the data provided above for years prior to 2009-10 will not match those produced in the historic statistical bulletins.

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 4,783 incidents of domestic abuse recorded by the Violence Reduction Unit in December 2010 were recorded in each (a) police force and (b) local authority area.

Fergus Ewing: This information requested is not held centrally.

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people given a custodial sentence in cases involving domestic abuse received a sentence of three months or less in 2008.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37570 on 26 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people given a custodial sentence in cases involving domestic abuse received a sentence of three months or less in 2009.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38829 on 7 February 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Domestic Abuse

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people given a custodial sentence in cases involving domestic abuse received a sentence of three months or less in 2010.

Fergus Ewing: This information will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2010-11 Statistical Bulletin , which is provisionally scheduled for later in 2011. Once confirmed, the publication date will be added to the information presented via the following web link.

  The dates of all Scottish Government Official and National Statistics publications are pre-announced, and the up to date list of future publications can be found at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Search/Forthcoming.

Firearms

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-36630 by Kenny MacAskill on 21 October 2010, whether it considers that police officers are not bound by the prohibition in section 3 of the Firearms Act 1968 on making guns without being registered as a firearms dealer.

Kenny MacAskill: It is not for the Scottish Government to provide detailed legal interpretation of the provisions in the Firearms Act 1968. Firearms policy and legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision there is for (a) annual health checks and (b) individual health plans for school pupils and how many receive them.

Shona Robison: All NHS boards in Scotland provide a child health programme. The universal programme for child health screening and surveillance is set out in Health for all Children 4: Guidance on Implementation in Scotland . This details the health checks that should be undertaken on entry to primary school, in Primary 7 and in secondary school. Children and young people with identified health needs will have a series of reviews throughout school.

  Guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Schools was published in 2001 and states that an individual health care plan should be drawn up for every child or young person with health care needs to identify the level and type of support that will be needed at school, including information about response to emergency situations.

  The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) places duties on education authorities to identify, meet and keep under review the additional support needs and duties on appropriate agencies, including NHS boards, to help an education authority in the exercise of its functions under it.

  Education authorities, NHS boards and other appropriate agencies should work together to ensure the effective co-ordination and implementation of support to address a child’s or young person’s needs. In line with Getting it right for every child, where more than one agency or service is involved, the child or young person should have one integrated plan in place, which may be made up of different elements, such as the educational or health plans required by the individual.

  We do not collate information centrally on how many pupils receive individual health plans.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made in establishing the (a) incidence and (b) prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Shona Robison: An expert clinician, Dr Maggie Watts, Public Health Consultant with Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board has been appointed to help develop a policy on addressing foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This will be developed in partnership with policy colleagues from across the Scottish Government and will focus mainly on the prevention of alcohol exposed pregnancies.

  The Scottish Government is funding a four-year surveillance research project in children under six years of age to estimate the incidence and epidemiology of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. The project is being carried out by the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.

Justice

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) cost and (b) start date of work on phase 2 of the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh will be.

Kenny MacAskill: The contract price for phase two of the construction of the Scottish Crime Campus is £11,744,547.73 excluding VAT. Work is scheduled to start on the site on 21 February 2011.

Parliamentary Questions

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-36115 and S3W-37229 by John Swinney on 21 September and 18 November 2010, when it expects to provide the information requested.

John Swinney: I shall reply shortly. A copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 51647).

Police

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a reduction in civilian police staff will have on the roles performed by uniformed police officers.

Kenny MacAskill: It is for Chief Constables to ensure the operational effectiveness of their force by making best use of the resources available to them, including identifying opportunities to improve processes, streamline structures and make better use of technology.

Regeneration

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to take forward regeneration policy.

Alex Neil: On 9 February 2011 I will be launching a discussion paper on regeneration: Building a Sustainable Future . This discussion paper will provide an opportunity for regeneration practitioners and other stakeholders from national and local government, the wider public, private and third sectors, and communities themselves to come together to discuss and debate the key challenges and opportunities for regeneration in the future.

  A copy of the regeneration paper is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52405).

Scottish Natural Heritage

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the "taking into account wider public interest" procedure is an integral part of Scottish Natural Heritage’s consideration of applications for wind farm developments or is aimed at refining its initial considerations in light of any wider public interest considerations brought to its attention.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage’s (SNH) procedure for "taking account of the wider public interest" (TAWPI) is an integral part of the consideration for all planning cases where SNH is considering an objection, including wind farm proposals. TAWPI applies to all cases where the consideration of "national interest" indicates that SNH should object, including those cases affecting National Scenic Areas (NSAs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The only exceptions are where a proposal would have a significant effect on the integrity of a Natura site or a proposal could have an effect on the favourable conservation status of a European Protected Species. The TAWPI process does not inform the advice SNH offers, only whether SNH decides to object.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Natural Heritage is (a) expected or (b) required to engage with applicants and other relevant interests in conducting its "taking into account wider public interests" procedure.

Roseanna Cunningham: Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is not required to consult with other parties when conducting a "taking into account wider public interests" (TAWPI) assessment. However, the organisation may do so if there is a need to clarify information. The assessment is an internal process which allows SNH to check that any natural heritage impacts are not outweighed by any social, economic or wider environmental benefits of a development proposal. As such, it is for SNH to decide whether engagement with an applicant and other relevant interests would be necessary to help in undertaking an assessment.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions Scottish Natural Heritage has revised its advice to ministers on wind farm applications after taking into account wider public interests since May 2007.

Roseanna Cunningham: None of the "taking into account wider public interests" (TAWPI) assessments undertaken to date by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has led the organisation to remove an objection. The TAWPI assessment does not alter SNH’s advice; it determines whether or not SNH should object to a development proposal. SNH’s advice on the natural heritage impacts, such as the detailed landscape and visual impacts of a proposal will not be affected by the TAWPI assessment.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it has funded from the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Fund since 2008, broken down by (a) project and (b) amount.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government funds a wide range of organisations to deliver projects to tackle sectarianism and all forms of religious intolerance. These include work focusing on schools, communities, the workplace, football supporters and adult offenders:

  

Organisation
Financial Years
Totals


2008-09
2009-10
2010-11


Nil by Mouth
£51,000
£59,000
£59,000
£169,000


Sense over Sectarianism
£112,500
£150,000
£150,000
£412,500


Show Racism the Red Card
 
£46,600
£46,600
£93,200


Show Bigotry the Red Card
 
 
£21,900
£21,900


Iona Community
 
£20,000
£42,300
£62,300


YouthLink Scotland
£21,500
 
 
£21,500


Youth Community Support Agency
£50,000
£70,000
£70,000
£190,000


Totals:
£235,000
£345,600
£389,800
£970,400



  Despite huge cuts being inflicted on Scotland by the Westminster government, the Scottish Government has decided to retain the funding level for equality projects at £20.3 million for 2011-12. This demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Scottish Government to the promotion of equality and to tackling issues of discrimination. All organisations currently funded through Race, Religion and Refugee Integration funding, including those delivering work to tackle sectarianism, were issued with funding application packs on 25 January 2011 for the 2011-12 financial year. We are committed to working constructively with organisations to tackle the scourge of sectarianism.

Sexual Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken since 2007 to support (a) measures to improve access to independent sexual health information and advice services in rural and urban areas and (b) the role of secondary school nurses in delivering a sexual health strategy and what the outcomes have been.

Shona Robison: In line with our manifesto commitment, the Scottish Government has increased access to sexual health information and advice services across Scotland. Additional funding of £1 million over the years 2008-09 to 2009-10 was provided to help achieve this. As agreed with stakeholders, half of the additional funding for 2008-09 was allocated to NHS boards to assist them to increase access to accurate sexual health information, particularly in rural areas. This funding has been used to create or update local websites and service information, improve public access to sexual health websites and support the provision of information by voluntary organisations.

  In 2009 the Scottish Government launched the Sexual Health Scotland website, which provides information, help and advice. This can be accessed at:

  http://www.sexualhealthscotland.co.uk.

  The Scottish Government also provides funding to a number of voluntary organisations throughout Scotland which provide independent sexual health and advice services.

  In addition, the availability of local drop-in services for young people, offering general health advice, chlamydia testing, pregnancy testing and condoms has increased in line with our National Outcomes 2008-11. The majority of areas are working towards an integrated approach to providing accessible sexual health services for young people, either within school by the school nursing staff, or outwith school, with an emphasis on targeting vulnerable groups of young people. Most nurses working in schools deliver health education programmes on puberty followed by age appropriate information on positive sexual health, including contraception and STIs within secondary schools. Where chlamydia testing or pregnancy testing is included within the health service, the process of setting up clinics has been done in full consultation with teachers, parents, young people and the local authority.

  With regard to improved health outcomes, it is too early to measure. However, research suggests that young people require access to information and advice in order for them to take responsible decisions on sexual health and relationships.

Sport

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding (a) it and (b) its agencies have given to Scottish Rugby Union in each of the last 10 years for which information is available and what the contractual basis was for such payments.

Shona Robison: In the three years from 2008-09, Scottish Rugby was awarded £1.415 million direct from the Scottish Government to deliver a wide range of rugby opportunities as part of the government’s Cashback for Communities programme.

  Scottish Rugby has received significant funding from sportscotland in each of the last ten years to support the implementation of the sport’s development plan. The level of investment is an operational matter and I have asked the Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, to provide the detailed information requested.

Suicide

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33209 by Shona Robison on 15 April 2010, what funds were included in the allocation to local authorities for Choose Life programmes in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 and has been for 2010-11 and how much each authority spent in each year.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-14128 and S3W-14129 on 23 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  The information regarding how much each authority spent in each year is not held centrally. Under the single outcome agreement it is a matter for each local authority to decide spend on the basis of local circumstances and local need, within the context of the wide range of local authority services each provide.

Weather

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Transport Scotland will brief MSPs on the response to the cold weather conditions.

Keith Brown: A statement on the severe weather conditions was made to the Parliament on 8 December 2010 and a copy of this can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/sor1208-02.htm#Col31271.

  In addition, following a debate on winter resilience held in the Parliament on 16 December 2010, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth wrote to all MSPs on 20 December 2010 to update them on the situation.

  I have asked Transport Scotland to provide a further update and a briefing note will shortly be lodged in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 52423).